Attachment C <br />Pedestrian safety: a road safety manual for decision-makers and practitioners <br />Attachment B <br />Consider the distinct needs of various types of pedestrians <br />Pedestrians are a group with diverse characteristics, capabilities and needs. The specific <br />needs of children, elderly people and people with disabilities should be considered <br />and prioritized when designing pedestrian safety measures (see Box 4.1). More <br />information on children and people with disabilities is provided later in this module. <br />BOX 4.1: Considering older people in pedestrian safety measures <br />Age is related to a variety of characteristics and skills <br />that influence the risk of pedestrian traffic injury. <br />These age-related characteristics can also affect the <br />way in which people of different ages interact with <br />pedestrian safety measures and therefore require <br />unique attention when planning interventions. <br />Several factors work together to increase the risk of <br />older pedestrians: <br />• Deterioration in visual acuity may have a negative <br />impact on their ability to cross the road safely. In <br />general, older pedestrians look less at traffic and <br />accept significantly smaller gaps in traffic when <br />crossing the road than younger pedestrians (8). <br />• Reduced mobility can render older pedestrians <br />unable to react quickly in imminent danger to avoid <br />a crash. <br />Underlying health conditions orfrailty can result in <br />greater injury severity when a crash occurs. <br />• Reduced speed when crossing the road. The <br />speed of elderly pedestrians does not itself <br />increase risk; the risk comes from the speed of <br />the traffic and, in particular, from automated sig- <br />nals that do not allow sufficient time for slower <br />pedestrians to cross safely. In many municipalities <br />the assumed walking speed used to set crossing <br />times at signalized crossings is faster than an <br />older person can walk, leaving them stranded on <br />the road when the signal phase changes to allow <br />vehicle movement (8). <br />The following measures can be implemented to <br />improve the safety of elderly pedestrians: <br />• Increase the time allocated to pedestrians at sig- <br />nalized pedestrian crossings. <br />• Install high-visibility crossings and advance stop <br />bars. <br />• Repair broken kerbs and pedestrian ramps. <br />• Replace missing and/or upgrade existing signs. <br />Install pedestrian refuge islands or, preferably, <br />raised medians. <br />• Narrow roadways with traffic-calming techniques. <br />• Raise public awareness about the safety needs of <br />elderly pedestrians. <br />• Reduce legal speed limits. <br />67 <br />• Strengthen enforcement of laws on speed limits, <br />and drink-driving. <br />